SANTA MONICA, CA — Saturday, June 28, 2025 — Dozens gathered at the St. Monica statue in Palisades Park for a solemn candlelight vigil titled “Candlelight Vigil for Humanity.” Organized by the Mexican-American Policy and Political Alliance (MAPPA), the event was held in response to what organizers described as an increase in inhumane immigration enforcement tactics, racial profiling, and fear spreading throughout immigrant communities.
Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete joined the vigil and delivered emotional remarks recalling her family's immigrant roots and expressing concern about the erosion of dignity and due process. “America is immigration,” she said, addressing the diverse crowd. “It’s immigrants. It’s folks who have come here from everywhere to build this rich culture we have.”
Former Santa Monica Councilmember Oscar de la Torre, a lead organizer, called the vigil a collective prayer and a peaceful response to what he described as "masked men with unmarked cars" detaining individuals in the streets. “It’s racial profiling at its worst,” he said. “They’re grabbing people and kidnapping them and taking them away from their families.”
Tony Vazquez, California’s first Latino mayor of Santa Monica and now a member of the State Board of Equalization, criticized federal immigration policy and encouraged state leaders to consider withholding California’s federal tax contributions as leverage. “We subsidize more folks than help us,” he said. “If we don’t flex our muscle, what good is it?”
Interfaith leaders played a central role, with Reverend Kathleen Benjamin of the Santa Monica Interfaith Council leading a prayer and urging attendees to be “the hands of humanity.” Land acknowledgments were made by Lisette, a Maya-Nawat speaker, honoring the Tongva, Chumash, and other indigenous nations whose unceded lands the gathering occupied.
The vigil was not without interruption. A homeless man voiced concerns about public apathy toward unhoused individuals. Rather than silence him, participants engaged respectfully and offered support, including food and money. Organizers said this interaction reflected the broader message: that dignity must extend to all, not just immigrants, but also those most marginalized by society.
Cultural artist Daniel Alonzo and activist Maria Loya also spoke passionately about resilience and the long struggle for justice, invoking both personal histories and ancestral memory. The evening closed with a prayer circle and a collective moment of silence, as participants joined hands beneath the outstretched arms of the Saint Monica statue.
Organizers indicated this would not be the last action. De la Torre announced plans for a countywide general strike and boycott, urging continued civic pressure through prayer, protest, and political engagement. “This is the beginning of something that is not good for our country,” he said. “And we must respond with unity, compassion, and strength.”
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